Ailana’s Journal — 2026-01-23 (Patreon)

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GOOD MORNING

It’s Friday, meaning that… I dunno… I have a fun workday planned. If you missed yesterday, we now have keys to the studio and a signed lease. AGI Creative Group has studio space, and Jason and I ordered stuff for it from Amazon to be delivered today.

The plan is for us to go over and start trying out things. We’ll start with extension cords, but eventually we’ll want the outlets relocated to where they best meet our needs.

We think we can position the movable lights so they can easily be turned onto three different backdrop setups. I know we’ll want a white backdrop and a black backdrop. Then a third one that we can change out as needed. Just brainstorming, to be honest.

The thing is, we’re on our way. It’s a commitment—AGI Creative Group is now open for business for studio work. We’ll have to grow that facet of our creative work, but now we’re moving.

And as for that, I need to get moving, too. I’ll check in later, so keep your eyes open for that!

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All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

HERE IT IS

I’m standing in the side parking lot next to the building AGI Creative and Kirina have leased. Her gallery/sandwich shop—she’s calling it Sea Glass Gallery of Port Isabel officially and just Sea Glass Gallery on the signs—is on this side. Our studio is in the back, but you can see how the parking alongside the building makes it work out great for both of us.

Jason thought this would make a good picture to give you a sense of the space and where we are. Once we get set up, the inside will look pretty much like any other professional photo studio—and we’ll be able to change things around as we go.

Like I said this morning, opening this up means we’re making a commitment to studio work. Naomi has said we’re not making a mistake. The people running companies have grown up on microwave popcorn, text messaging, and everything instant. They expect instant content creation, even though they don’t really understand what it takes to plan and pull off a good shoot.

AGI Creative is going to be ready!

Sasha issued a decree: “Everyone needs to have a bag packed at all times. Passports up to date. We want to be able to go from phone call to boarding gate with no more time spent than it takes to drive there. And don’t forget to take your vitamins and stay healthy.”

Clay extrapolated that a little. “Suppose we’re in Korea and we get a call to be in Denver ASAP. We should have a plan in place…and a fee schedule that covers everything.”

So, we’re turning a page, I suppose. And here’s the thing I want to end with.

A lot of you have encouraged us to go this way. Not with exact instructions, but with on-going encouragement and kind words. In a sense, AGI Creative Group has grown up under your watchful eyes.

All I can say is thank you and…see you soon!

WHEN JASMINE CALLS… by Ricky Martinez

As a Dasher, you eventually get to know good customers by name. When Jasmine Banks worked at the nursing home and I saw her name on an order, I knew it was worth picking it up. Today, I saw her name and an address in Port Isabel. I was not surprised that it was Sandwich King.

When I got here, she was with two other ladies. I’d met one, Ailana Geven, a while back over in South Padre Island. Jasmine introduced the other as Kirina Yung.

Well, before the delivery was done, Ailana wanted to take a photo. They told me today was move-in day. Kirina is opening a shop in the front of the building. Ailana and Jasmine are setting up a photography studio in the back.

“We’ll probably DoorDash food frequently, for a while,” Ailana said. “We’ll be busy getting everything set up.”

I told them I’d feel lucky to get their orders. I also wished them luck on their new projects.

As for me, I’m off to see about a pizza for some bankers, then I’m calling it an early day. Isabela didn’t get to work today, so she’s at home. I’m looking forward to the evening.

We’ll grill some chicken drumsticks and microwave a potato. It will be a slow, easy evening, and those are sometimes the best kind.

GOOD NIGHT

As I sit here, I am wondering what is happening. Not because I am disoriented. It’s different.

Is this the end of the day or the beginning of something bigger? Is this photo testing the current lighting system, or is it defining future possibilities?

It’s hard for me not to spiral through my life. It was a year ago that I sat down and tried to explain how I came to be who I am—and in doing that, I reminded myself who I had been and started to think about who I should be.

At nineteen, in 2016, I started modeling. Eight years of living out of a suitcase later, in 2024, I set out to become a writer, shifting modeling to the margins as a failsafe.

Now, I find myself stepping back into the world of shutter speed, aperture, and lighting—but this time not only as a model, but also as a photographer, art director, and mentor.

In 1/90 of a second, Jason captured this image. That came after a day of moving things in, setting them up, changing where everything was, and setting up again.

His years minoring in art and my years looking into a lens melded into something bigger than either of us imagined. The years we spent in high school and college chasing each other through parks with cameras converged into some sort of collective agreement.

We knew without debate… This is how we will do it. This is how we will create art.

So is a chapter ending, or is one beginning? Or does deciding that even matter?

Here we are, and we’re ready to move forward. And I hope that you will go with us.

Good night.

Be your best you!

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